A local Cold Lake man is looking to make his mark on hockey with an ergonomic hockey stick he designed.

Instead of being the usual rectangular shape that doesn’t quite fit comfortably in your hand, Ray Girardi has designed one that is curved and easier to grip.

“As a hockey player, every couple of years, I’m always looking for a new stick, one that feels right when you hold it,” he said, adding a good stick is hard to find.

Girardi spent over two years working with an Edmonton machinist who specializes in carbon fibre.

“It is a lot of trial and error,” he said. “It was a long process. Designing it was my passion.”

All that hard work has finally paid off because now he has his own self-designed stick that he uses to play hockey with.

He has also sold some to his friends and colleagues. In fact, he has started selling them online through a new company he has set up called Kinetik.

Girardi has even approached the Cold Lake Ice Hockey Club in hopes that they will order some sticks.

“They said they would look at it this year,” he said.

Girardi designed his stick ergonomically so it gives a hockey player the best feedback in the shaft so that he or she can actively manage a ball or puck. And he said his stick is more durable than most.

“It’s like using a hammer. A stick is just a tool, but you want one that is easier to hold,” he said.

He sells his sticks for $159 each, but he will always give locals in the Bonnyville-Cold Lake area a deal of $125.

People can find his hockey sticks at www.kinetikhockey.com

The staff at the Cold Lake Rural Alberta Business Centre have been a great sounding board for Girardi.

“They’ve been helping me to take the right steps at the right time,” he said.